Ras Al Khaimah weather in January

In January, Ras Al Khaimah sees average daytime highs of 21°C and overnight lows near 16°C, with 28 mm of rain across 3.7 wet days and about 10.6 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 1st-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 21°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 68% of the time in January, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 10 h 24 min at the start of January to 10 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Ras Al Khaimah's 12th-clearest and 3rd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Ras Al Khaimah's year-round climate.

Daytime high
21°
12th warmest
Overnight low
16°
1st coldest
Rainfall
28 mm
3.7 wet days
Daylight
10 h 36 min
7:09 AM – 5:42 PM
Cloud cover
30%
12th clearest
Wind
7 km/h
3rd windiest
Solar energy
4.13 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.0
out of 10
Air quality
Very high
PM10 110.1 µg/m³ · 2020

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in January

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 21°C through the month.

A typical January day in Ras Al Khaimah reaches about 21°C in the afternoon and slips back to 16°C overnight — a 5°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 19°C and 24°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 2°C cooler than December and about 1°C cooler than February.

10°15°20°25°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12217
22217
32217
42217
52217
62217
72217
82217
92217
102117
112117
122117
132116
142116
152116
162116
172116
182116
192116
202116
212116
222116
232116
242116
252116
262116
272116
282116
292116
302116
312116

How January really feels in Ras Al Khaimah

Once humidity and wind are folded in, January averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

January sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Ras Al Khaimah weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 12th-warmest and 1st-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan21° / 16°283.710.68.0
Feb22° / 17°152.511.18.5
Mar25° / 19°212.611.88.6
Apr30° / 23°60.812.66.9
May34° / 27°0013.24.3
Jun36° / 30°10.113.62.8
Jul36° / 31°20.113.42.5
Aug36° / 31°0012.92.7
Sep35° / 29°00.112.23.8
Oct32° / 26°10.111.45.6
Nov27° / 22°40.910.78.3
Dec23° / 18°132.410.48.8

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 68% of the time in January, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 14% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 18%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18317
28317
38218
48218
58119
68119
78119
88020
98020
108020
117921
127921
137921
147921
158020
168119
178119
188119
198218
208317
218317
228416
238416
248416
258515
268515
278515
288614
298614
308614
318614

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Ras Al Khaimah gets around 28 mm of rain over 3.7 wet days in January, the wettest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 12% and peaks near 15% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
17
28
38
49
59
610
711
811
912
1012
1113
1213
1314
1414
1515
1615
1715
1815
1915
2015
2114
2214
2313
2413
2512
2612
2711
2811
2911
3010
3110

Humidity in January

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of January feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, January lands in the dry band about 63% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
15334130
25334130
35334130
45533120
55533120
65632120
75831110
85831110
96030100
106129100
116228100
12642790
13642790
14652690
15672580
16672580
17682480
18682480
19682480
20692470
21692470
22682480
23682480
24672580
25662590
26662590
276425101
286326101
296226111
306325111
316325111

Wind in January

Winds average 7 km/h in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 7 km/h on the calmest days to 8 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
17calm
27calm
37calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
87calm
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
148calm
158calm
168calm
178calm
188calm
198calm
208calm
218calm
228calm
238calm
248calm
258calm
268calm
278calm
288calm
298calm
308calm
318calm

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 h 24 min at the start of January to 10 h 48 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 24 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 7:07 AM to 7:06 AM, and sunset from 5:32 PM to 5:53 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.47:075:32
210.47:075:32
310.47:075:33
410.47:085:34
510.47:085:34
610.47:085:35
710.57:085:36
810.57:085:36
910.57:095:37
1010.57:095:38
1110.57:095:38
1210.57:095:39
1310.57:095:40
1410.57:095:41
1510.57:095:41
1610.67:095:42
1710.67:095:43
1810.67:095:44
1910.67:095:44
2010.67:095:45
2110.67:095:46
2210.67:085:47
2310.77:085:47
2410.77:085:48
2510.77:085:49
2610.77:075:50
2710.77:075:50
2810.77:075:51
2910.87:075:52
3010.87:065:52
3110.87:065:53

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 4.13 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.98 kWh/m² to a high of 7.64 kWh/m² in May across the year — January's 4.13 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.0Moderate
24.0Moderate
34.0Moderate
44.0Moderate
54.0Moderate
64.0Moderate
74.0Moderate
84.0Moderate
94.0Moderate
104.0Moderate
114.0Bright
124.0Bright
134.0Bright
144.0Bright
154.0Bright
164.1Bright
174.1Bright
184.1Bright
194.1Bright
204.2Bright
214.2Bright
224.2Bright
234.3Bright
244.3Bright
254.3Bright
264.4Bright
274.4Bright
284.5Bright
294.5Bright
304.5Bright
314.6Bright
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Ras Al Khaimah

In seasonPeak

None of Ras Al Khaimah's seasonal hazards are active in January. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Ras Al Khaimah sits in the North Indian Ocean cyclone zone; the season peaks May and October–November.

Ras Al Khaimah sees seasonal dust haze (March–August), heaviest in July.

Cyclone
Dust
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is January a good time to visit Ras Al Khaimah?

Our two travel scores rate January for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

8.0
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
5.1
Beach & pool
12th-best month of the year

January is one of the better times to visit Ras Al Khaimah for general sightseeing.

What to pack for Ras Al Khaimah in January

From January's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In January, Ras Al Khaimah sees daytime highs around 21°C and nights near 16°C. Little to plan around — just the basics. About 4 days see rain.

Sea temperature near Ras Al Khaimah in January

The nearest coast averages about 23°C in January — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea offshore is warmest in August at about 33°C and coldest in February near 23°C.

The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.

20°25°30°35°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan23Refreshing
Feb23Refreshing
Mar23Refreshing
Apr25Warm
May28Tropical
Jun31Tropical
Jul32Tropical
Aug33Tropical
Sep32Tropical
Oct31Tropical
Nov28Tropical
Dec25Warm

UV index in Ras Al Khaimah in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 5 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Ras Al Khaimah peaks around June 14 at about 10 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 17 at about 4 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecHighVery highExtremeVery highHighModerateJun 14UV 10Dec 17UV 4
UV index (midday)Level
Jan5High
Feb8Very high
Mar8Very high
Apr9Very high
May10Very high
Jun11Extreme
Jul9Very high
Aug10Very high
Sep9Very high
Oct8Very high
Nov6High
Dec4Moderate

Air quality in Ras Al Khaimah in January

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where January falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Ras Al Khaimah is worst in July — around 77 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 2.6× the cleanest month (December, 30 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

020406080JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecPoorUnhealthyPoorModerateJul 1776 µg/m³Dec 1130 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan36Poor
Feb40Poor
Mar46Poor
Apr53Poor
May61Unhealthy
Jun64Unhealthy
Jul77Unhealthy
Aug65Unhealthy
Sep46Poor
Oct38Poor
Nov31Moderate
Dec30Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Ras Al Khaimah?

Ras Al Khaimah sits at 25.8°N, 55.9°E, 2 m above sea level, in United Arab Emirates. The nearest listed city is Dibba Al-Hisn, 38 km away.

Dibba Al-HisnDibba Al-FujairahUmm al QuwainKhasabAdh DhaydAl ḨamīdīyahAl JurfAl Sajaah

Topography around Ras Al Khaimah

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Ras Al Khaimah.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Ras Al Khaimah has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 27 m around an average of 2 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 782 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,064 m.

The land around Ras Al Khaimah is covered by water (47%) and artificial surfaces (33%) within 3 km, water (46%) and bare terrain (37%) within 16 km, and water (60%) and bare terrain (36%) within 80 km.

3 km
27 m
16 km
782 m
80 km
2,064 m
treesshrubsgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainwatermangroves
January weather nearby: Dibba Al-Hisn 38 km · Dibba Al-Fujairah 39 km · Umm al Quwain 46 km · Khasab 53 km · Adh Dhayd 56 km · Al Ḩamīdīyah 60 km · Al Jurf 60 km · Al Sajaah 61 km

United Arab Emirates travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 3
Reconsider Travel
Power plugs
Type G
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 63% of US
price level, 2024
GDP per capita
$50,274
2024
Happiness
6.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
99%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
0.7
per 100k, 2022
Road deaths
8.9
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Low
EF EPI 487

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Ras Al Khaimah (25.7895°, 55.9432°, elevation 2 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).